Best Car Stereos
I purchased the NPmaxx for my Navara. I haven't had any issues with the unit. I tried the Oziexplorer app. But I ended up going with Hema instead.… Read more
I'm not geeky enough to work out how to use Ozi. Polaris customer service has been fantastic answering any questions I've had. Really is plug and play. Great head unit.
Excellent – ah yes i have been using this stereo in my old car for over 2 years and i must say this is an awesome stereo system allround for all weather… Read more
conditions. it handles so much power nad has a lot of safety features to prevent it from over heating or overloading voltages. the features are exceelnt and there are many options to improve sound quality to suit the style of music to make sure you are gettinf the perfect sound. its a must have with high powered speakers. not worth having it with poor quality speakers. you will not be dissapointed. pioneer is the best breand you can buy that will last you a long time and well worth the money! awesome sound quality. can be expanded to awesome power with amp and subwoofer connections. handles high power devices. excellent in all weather conditions no cons loved the unit.
Great head unit, never failed me – I am now upgrading, had this the start of 2007.. so it's done me 5 solid years and is still going strong. I am only upgrading as i want bluetooth for… Read more
my phone and USB/SD card.
Has high pass filter if you aren't using external amplifier. Great presets (I use mainly vocal to up the highs and cut the bass, powerful for most, and superbass to bring up the bass or you can do a custom one) a bass boost. You can tell it whether the sub is upside down or normal, and choose the frequency you want for highs and lows.
Has 2 comp/bmx settings to richen the sound.
3 pre outs for sub/rear/front (don't know if 2v or 4v)
plays WMA AAC MP3 - adjustable background, same backgrounds still used on pioneer headunits been released to this day. (but with a much smaller screen!) and the radio is awesome, it saves them automatically to the preset numbers along the bottom if you want it too. (so you get FM1, FM2, FM3 and the AM's x 6 buttons each)
the 2 people that have previously reviewed this H/U were wrong, You can turn it off with the volume knob being held in.
YOU CAN adjust the display to not be so bright, turn the unit off and hold down function to find more settings. Reliable, Great settings, Looks fancy and nice, 3 pre-outs NOTHING, just bluetooth and USB/SD have become popular now
Both wireless Carplay AND Android Auto – Very happy with this unit. If you are looking for an affordable unit with wireless Apple Carplay and Android Auto, this is the one. JVC doesn't… Read more
advertise it, but wireless Android Auto works if you put the app in developer mode (takes less than 30 sec). Interface looks great and is customisable, screen is good quality - no HD but it is bright and I can't see any pixels. Resistive touch screen is fine, you'd pay much more for capacative. Also a big plus, this JVC comes with built in OEM steering wheel controller so you don't have to buy an external controller (worth about 90 bucks) if you want to keep using your car's steering wheel control buttons. Negatives: the menu structure is a bit counter-intuitive and has a bit of a learning curve.
Now a good 2nd hand buy – February 2013. Eight months without a car (ours needing an engine/rebuild). So for daily duties I bought a $400 cheapie, a 94 Lancer coupe. Looks… Read more
rough, and after some love it drives ok. The 5 months rego, two near new tyres and the stereo were almost worth what I paid for the car!
In this case, there's 2 (or 3) way JVC ~6" in the doors and JVC 6x9s on the rear parcel shelf.
I ran this stereo for just a day. The reason for this will become plain...
The unit refused to power up. To access the harness plug and fuse, I had to remove the lower dash trim and glove box. They're still off. Sure enough, the fuse in the rear was blown. New fuse, off we go.
So in that one day I was able to achieve a decent sound balance and staging.
The next day the car wouldn't start. Battery at 11.8V. So I disconnected the stereo and recharged the battery.
Whoever "installed" this stereo did it all wrong.
They ran one of the + power wires DIRECTLY to the battery + terminal. Wrong.
There's a yellow + wire that goes to a constant 12V source, and the red + wire that goes to a switched 12V source (such as cig lighter) both preferably in the fuse block.
Black goes to a chassis ground point.
However, this review is about the JVC KD-G725. As others have stated, it's great. Sounds great, lovely intuitive controls and will support a USB thumb drive up to 4GB.
But it's now 2013 and you probably won't find one new today as they were released circa 2006. You may find this or a similar era JVC head unit in a used car or second hand by other means.
The point of this review is: check it was installed properly. If it wasn't, you may well deplete your car battery.
If you buy one second hand and you're lucky, you'll get a manual with it...but the user manual doesn't cover installation. If you're *uber-lucky* you'll also get the installation manual.
Thankfully a Google search will yield a few PDF installation manuals that are applicable (maybe a different KD-G model, but same wiring).
Once my back feels better and I can contort myself to reach behind the centre console, I'll correct the dodgy wiring. I'm really looking forward to enjoying this stereo -- for more than a day! Clear display, good controls esp volume, simple remote, great sound People installing it badly by taking wiring shortcuts, demo display needs disabling if unit reset
Great – It does what you need for the price, anyone who is buying one of these and complains it isn't good either doesn't know their stuff or is too cheap to… Read more
buy anything more expensive. Don't wire it in yourself and complain that it doesn't work, it works perfectly adequately if you know what you're doing. Simple to use Not a great deal of inputs
Good unit but does have a glitch or 2 occasionally – Had this unit in my vehicle for over a year now, occasionally blue tooth drops out and every now and then a loud buzz comes through system. Ignition off then on and it goes. Other than that it seems ok.paid $500 fitted Show details
Good – This unit has served me well. It was installed about the same time I bought my car. There is plently of features on this unit, I do not recall any… Read more
Bluetooth conectivity. The unit performs fairly well, it can play CDRs but I have problems playing mp3s on CDRWs. The other issues with Pioneer units is you cant control your auto anthena to retract when you off your unit. means you have to disconnect if you want to go for a auto wash. Or do a seperate switch to lower the anthena. Otherwise the unit has done pretty well. Reasonable priced,plays mp3s, good enough for any average user. does not allow anthena to power down when you off the radio
The fabulous DEH P1Y – I love this unit and want to replace 2012 pioneer that is fitted to the car I bought . Prob is no access for iphone usb and can't locate an adaptor… Read more
anywhere in new zealand,
As above there is a Pioneer radio CD fitted in my car DEH 2250 I think although whatever it is the sound cannot be compared to my old unit DEH P1Y and so it looks like I will fit it anyway at least I wll be happy with the audio.
Jake16 posted on Jul 30, 2012
No ipod or usb aux and I can't find an adaptor
JVC KD-R816
Brilliant system, had it over the last 4 years now – Works amazingly well. Never had a problem with it in the last 4 years or so. bought it online and had it installed professionally. Show details
Awesome Stezza – This head deck is awesome had mine since it came out still works perfectly, best thing is sub control no matter what size sub you run it will make it… Read more
pump, 3 sets of RCA for front speakers, rear speakers and sub woofer. When set up properly with amps you will not be disappointed in the quality of sound. To the people who had problems with there's I would have to say your unlucky for not getting one without any issues.
Really nice SQ head unit with unique front panel feature! – I bought this unit as I was after a high end unit with 3 RCA outputs, )front, rear, subs) This unit provided all those and more feature to customise… Read more
your in car environment such as;
- choice of theme for viewing
- motorised front panel that opens / closes
- built in choice of equalizer settings
- customised 17 band equalizer settings
- choice of frequency settings for front/ rear/ subwoofer 50hz/65hz/ 80hz/120hz/150Hz
- choice of cross over slope settings, 6db/12db/24db
- subwoofer mono/ stereo settings
- subwoofer phase control, normal / reverse
- subwoofer volume control in -/+10db
- aux input via 3.5mm jack
- auxiliary input via RCA inputs (stereo)
- remote control card size makes it good to use whilst driving;
The unit looks and feels really good and the sound quality churned out using the unit is sensational. The Downside to this head unit are:
- does not have blue tooth functionality, alternative is to connect to the 3.5mm jack to your phone;
- the ribbon which connects both faces has a short life span;
- hard to find replacement ribbon through Pioneer as its discontinued model;
- ageing product makes it hard to find replacement parts
If it wasn't for the Bluetooth feature, I would be still using the unit but since replacing the ribbon, it became a challenge to find the parts so I was compelled to sell it to a potential collector.
Great unit with features not available in head units today but only focused on SQ / car audio gurus who know how to set frequencies to customise the sound to suit their speaker/ subwoofer systems.
I will certainly miss this unit. The features on this unit is incomparable to units available today.
Very happy with the unit – I like the way you can connect CarPlay to the unit it works quite well I have done an update which helped a lot, iPhone and everything works fine I connect straight away when I put my iPhone on, looking forward to many years of use. Show details
OK – Decent unit, feature rich. Not a very supreme sound output but has enough sound controls to adjust the output to your liking Bass output (Low frequency response) Bulky remote control, blurred display, not a very good high frequency response
Be careful of loose frontplate connection problems – I installed this unit in my car to replace old sony unit that did not have USB connection. I am disappointed as the faceplate connector got loose. So… Read more
it's a struggle to turn the unit on as I have to fiddle with it to work every time. I have not used it extensively and after researching found out that this is a common problem with Kenwood front plate detachable units. The sound is alright though. I would not recommend someone buying this if you need longevity for your music system.
JVC KD-DB56
Great sound, fiddly controls, poor display – DAB radio works perfectly throughout metro area, most of Hills zone (I'm in Adelaide). Huge volume control knob but tiny oddly shaped… Read more
up-down-left-right buttons all crammed together. Remote is small but somewhat better design but won't change function. Display is unreadable in daylight and indicator lights (choose any color - wow) can't be dimmed and very distracting on long country night trips. Otherwise fantastic value and its AM radio (I use it a lot on, yes, LCNT) sounds far better than previous unit (Pioneer).
Terrible – Please do not waste your money. I have installed a few of these and removed them a few months latter. for some thing better . One person actualy… Read more
went and purchased the sony and it is still in the car after 4 years , The Pioneer lasted 5 months. It looks like a SONY The tuner in this unit has a low life span and the amps power will slowly die off till it sounds like your speakers a going and it is the radio. the RCA conections are poorly fitted and have a tendancy to fail and short out the unit. It was designed to take on SONY.
- Price (RRP) $599
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Quality is bad – It’s a bad unit. The facia trim forms cracks within a few months of owning. Had this happen to me twice. The first unit formed cracks on the bezel… Read more
and the unit kept freezing, and the replacement unit, has done the exact same as the other within a couple of months. Then when I emailed Sony for a warranty, they said “no”, because it considered “wear and tear”. Not worth the $500.
Excellent – JVC have been leading the way in Audio Entertainment for many years and its no surprise that the KD-G845 should change that. If anything, the G845… Read more
just gives JVC more to boast about.....
The design of the G845 is great, with its finish matching most luxury car trims, and its Blue LEDS/NEON lights, it fits into the dash like it was factory with the car.
The display is easy to see and read in either Daylight or Night, with the ability to change colour...it even dims the display when the Headlights are turned on...or at presets times e.g 6pm-7am it would be dimmed.
For a RRP of $329 this head unit is great value for money that gives a great sound due to its large dynamic range and with 4x 50W outputs the speakers love it too.
Highly recommened....there is also plenty of room to move in price...so ask for a deal when you go to buy! Great LCD Display, Easy To Read Text, Dynamic Sound Range, Natural Bass Effect, Variable Colour Display....Sleek Looking Design Menu Can Get A Littel Hard To Use Without Reading Instructions....
Excellent – This is a good all-round unit and with good speakers it produces excellent sound. The mp3 feature works well, reading all cd's without problem and… Read more
extracting the album names and song titles correctly. The best feature is the bluetooth integration which works excellently. Get a call and the music goes off, changing to boradcasting the conversation through your car speakers. Once the call is over the music starts from where it left off. The pairing with the phone works very well - once set up you never have to worry about it again, it just pairs with your phone automatically whenever you get in the car. Nice blue themeing, bright display, exellent bluetooth integration. Some of the options are quite fiddly to get to within the menu system. Dial/joystick press-in function can be difficult to use without accidently moving the joystick.
Perfect, could almost not live without it :) the sound is far better than the stock radio – I decided to update my car radio as it does not have all the modern stuff us old guys want :), blue tooth, USB port, internet access, and phone… Read more
access. When I first turned it on I was really impressed with the quilty of the sound and DAB is really the way go, though it occasionally drops out, but the bad areas are far between, and before I had this radio I thought Spotify what is the point, I send a lot of time listening to all the songs of my youth with this, once again another great accessory. The only downside is that I have not figured out how to make a hands free call not using googles "Okay Google" sadly the information supplied is enough to get on started but it is not comprehensive, I have looked on the Pioners site but could not find any useful information. I wholeheartedly recommend this for anybody who is thinking of upgrading their car radio.
Excellent – Although they are out of production now, if you can find a second hand model that works it is one of the best investments I have ever made. I bought… Read more
mine brand new in 2007 for only $160 after bargaining the guy at JB Hifi. There are not many decks for that price that come with THREE pre-outs, a whole lot of sound tweaking capabilities, and crisp sound quality. They are also one of the only models to have the Auxiliary inputs on the back of the deck, which I liked because I wanted to have a neat and permanent connection for my MP3 player. Most decks today have messy wires coming out of the front if you want to connect your ipod or MP3 player, unless you want to spend over $350.
Three years later it is still pumping out the same quality sound, and it has never had any issues where it has played up or stopped working. The BEST value for money tuner I've ever seen
Excellent – Awesome is the one word. What more can you ask, great price, features, looks, sound.It plays my IPOD like a breeze with out any accessories. Awesome… Read more
interface, looks, remote. Sound is far superior to the Sony i had.A must have car cd receiver Nothing much
Replace Jeep Cherokee Entertainment Unit – Unit was supplied with all required cables, and a user guide. The bezel fit very well into the dash, and was easy to install (after watching several… Read more
Youtube videos on how to get the old unit out. After connecting all the cables and the supplied CANBus unit, the unit started straight away. After some configuration, the steering wheel controls worked, and air con changes show on-screen while making changes. Android Auto works fine (a bit slow starting, but fast once booted). The hardest part for me was routing the 4G and GPS cables through the back of the dash to the windscreen, due to my lack of knowhow. I emailed support a couple of times to confirm cable locations and CANBus settings. They responded within a couple of hours both times. I have ony one remaing issue. I am not getting a signal on the radio app, but I think that might be because I broke the car aerial cable by accident while routing the other aerial cables. I get radio through AA, so I'm not desperate to fix it, but I will trace the aerial cable some time. Overall, very happy with the unit and the support provided.
Excellent stereo system – I've had this head unit for 3years now. and its been with me thru each step of upgrading the speakers and installing a sub etc. it look real slick… Read more
with the whole glow in glow out blue illumination when ejecting a cd. matches my blue neons under the foot rests. Everything was great. cant believe I chose a good head unit back when i was an amateur Cons? mmmm well only thing i could think of is when i travel(speed) over a road bump and the cd skips. which is understandable.
Excellent – the pioneer cd tuner for me was a decently priced but still of a good quality. it was easy to set up and install I hook my ipod up to it most of the… Read more
times which is very convenient to have the simple connection. i have had no real problems with it the whole time i have had it for! it is a good buy! easy to use, good quality
Great looking unit – We purchased this unit to upgrade our radio in our vehicle as it gives us hands free and an option to add a reverse camera, it has a great sound even… Read more
with our crappy speakers though we will change them out just to make it even better.
The hands free microphone is amazing, you don't get the tinny distance sound you get with many of them, it is very clear and loud. The display for answering your phone is big and easy to see on the touch screen, which helps you keep your eyes on the road and there is very little glare.
The camera is on optional extra but you can pick these up cheap enough, the image on the screen of the radio is very clear with the camera we purchase, and is something I would recommend you add to it.
Overall we are very happy with this purchase and hopefully we still feel the same way as time progresses.
Fantastic car radio – Recently installed this unit, sound is great, install was easy, radio reception is great even without the antenna extended. Made a mistake on install, customer support was fast and efficient.
a good head unit to impress and performs great – i bought the unit about 2 months ago and i was very pleased how well it manages, clear crisp sound and the illuminance looks great, heaps of settings… Read more
and functions ... It might not have bluetooth or a usb port but it has av leads and it is very great to have pumpin thru your system, i would recommand the unit to those lookin for a great sounding impressive cheap stereo. illuminence, reliable, expensive and sounds great no bluetooth, needs more functions
A relatively good for the price – A relatively good radio if it is installed correctly and you do not expect more than it is for the price, I have had no problems with the operation and working of the unit. I like the size and the blue display Show details